June 1st marks the start of winter and for many of us the start of snow season! Here are a few tips and tricks to reduce the risk of injury when getting back on the slopes.
Check your Range of Movement
Have a look at your hamstrings length (do a straight leg stretch lying on your back keeping your knee straight, then again with your hip at 90 degrees and extending your knee.
Have a look at your ankle ROM, an easy test is the knee to wall test. Standing with your foot away from the wall bend your knee forward so that it’s touching the wall while your heel remains on the floor. Measure the distance from your big toe to the wall.
Quads and hip flexors, can you stand straight bending your heel to your bum, then can you extend your hip back past neutral to stretch your hip flexors.
Lower back stretch, keeping your hips flat on the ground, slowly extending your lower back up till you feel a stretch, hold for 5 seconds and return to neutral. Repeat 5 times
Improve your Strength
Check your quads strength single leg squats can you do 3 sets of 12 reps on each leg without letting your knee track medially or come in front of your toes?
Heel raises, can you do 30 single leg heel raises on each leg off a step?
Bridges can you do 30 single leg bridges with a 10 second hold?
Plank can you do 30 sec plank in push up position, standard position, left and right side-lying?
Improve your Stability
Don’t forget stability!
For snow boarders work on weight transfer going from your heels to toes on a wobble board or bosu ball.
For Skiers working on weight transfer from left to right knee, skater jumps are great for this focusing on knee stability.
Jude Holroyd is the Principal Physiotherapist at our Jordan Springs practice. When he isn’t working hard to help his clients enjoy an #activelife or playing soccer, he enjoys snowboarding.
